A question of scale when it comes to ale

If Hogarth had lived a little longer he might have bumped into the bibulous individual responsible for commissioning this c.1770 ale glass.With a capacity of nearly two pints, it is one of the largest of its kind on record. Drink the full measure, and the 14-ply spiral band in the opaque twist stem might begin to do just that, because ale in the 18th century was mighty strong compared to the milds and bitters of today.

ATG Reporter

12 Jun 2001

ATG Reporter

12 Jun 2001

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In fact, it is quite possible that this glass was made with the intention of testing a gentleman’s ability to sink the draught in one breath.

“A fore-runner of the yard of ale,” said Fergus Gambon of Phillips, who had the pleasure of selling the piece as part of an unusual collection of oversized drinking glasses at the Bond Street salerooms on June 6.

The glass measured 14in (35.5cm) high, compared with the average of 8in (20cm) for standard ale glasses, and it would have been quite tricky to make.

Standard ale glasses of this period might be expected to raise £250-280, but interest in this mammoth example pushed bidding to £1300 (plus 15 per cent buyer’s premium).